Health vs Appearance

Hey, Guy's and welcome to another edition of Caribbean Fit! Hope all is well with everyone. I've been really thinking for a while of how much people are obsessed with weight loss and size and not actually focussing on health. It is for this reason I want to discuss physical appearance vs health.

All across the world there has been and continues to be an obsession with weight loss and physical appearance and the Carribean is definitely not exempt from this obsession. In the Caribbean, it is customary to be greeted with a comment about your weight as opposed to a "hi how are you". What you get instead is a, "hey did you lose/gain weight?" (of course in our Caribbean dialect). This is very annoying to most people and can also have adverse effects on an individual's self-perception. However, what we should all think about is that everyone will never be the same shape or size and the emphasis should be shifted on overall health.
Image result for weight loss obsession
Image courtesy Google
We should know that a person's health status cannot be determined by their physical appearance. As a Nutrition and Dietetic professional, I am aware of the importance of knowing your numbers. When I say numbers, I am not just speaking about your weight alone but also your cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, BMI, blood pressure and waist measurements. Having this information taken by a medical practitioner or Dietetic professional and knowing what these numbers mean will all contribute to you having a better understanding of your health status and taking the necessary steps to get to the place you want to/ought to be.

Remember, appearance does not matter, as there are persons who are slim with many health complications and overweight persons who are in great health. The focus should be on striving to live a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods, getting adequate physical activity and your mental health and as mentioned before knowing your numbers and what they mean and being comfortable in the skin you are in are all you should focus on. Your reason for wanting to lose/gain weight should never be based on someone else's opinion or comment but on your health status and your level of comfort. It is important to make sure that you're doing it for you!

Bye for now, until next time...... keep healthy and happy! 😗💋😚
Image result for health vs appearance
Image courtesy Google

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